Getting Ready To Sell: A Checklist for Preparing your Home

Getting Ready To Sell: A Checklist for preparing your Home

It is an exciting and stressful time: You’re getting ready to pack up your life and move to a new home. As much as we would like to think that it’s just as easy as hanging the sign on the front lawn, it isn’t: To maximize the sale price of your home and the speed in which you find a buyer, it is wise to invest some time and money in making sure that your home, and listing, look as good as possible.

To help with this whirlwind period in your life, we’ve put together a checklist of things you should strongly consider doing before your home is photographed and put on the market.

Focus on Curb Appeal

There is little more important than a good first impression, both in life and in real estate. Some fresh mulch, paint and seasonal flowers are small investments that will help to enhance the appearance of your home. If you have the budget, power washing and dead tree or shrub removal will help you fetch top dollar for your home.

Focus on the little touches when working on the exterior of your home. If your mailbox was slammed by the snow plow guy last winter, consider replacing it. Also, hang a flag for a patriotic touch or put seating on a porch or entertaining area to liven things up.

Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get the Inside Sparkling!

A thorough cleaning of the inside of your home will put you light years ahead of the competition. Help flood your home with light by washing your windows. De-cluttering will help the home look cleaner and bigger, not to mention help any potential buyers imagine their own things in the house.

It’s important to clean the floors and carpets, especially if you have pets. Have them professionally steam cleaned. If they are too far gone, it is worth the investment to have new carpets put in or to have the hardwood re-finished.

If you are not going to be living in your home while on the market, consider having your home professionally staged to help buyers visualize the home. Your agent should have no trouble making recommendations to you on who you can contact for staging services. This is another area where the investment is worth the effort when buyers are putting in offers.

Focus on the Details

Little improvements can go a long way during a walk through or open house. Now is the time to finally finish those pesky items on your honey-do list; it can pay off big at the closing table. Make sure that all the lights work and change the bulbs on the ones that don’t. Make sure your fire alarms aren’t beeping and spray some lubricant on squeaky doors.

Class Harlan real estate can help you decide which projects to take on before a listing and give you a fresh set of eyes. They are keenly aware of buyer behavior and what they look for and react to when looking at a home. They can help you better prioritize your investment based on your budget so that you can maximize your home’s selling potential. You may not have considered having to put money into your home at the 11th hour. However, a sound strategy and an experienced agent will see a return on that investment in short order.